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SEPTA Trolley Tunnel to Close for Power Construction Work

Work to Take Place August 3-11

July 24, 2013

Due to overhead wire, track and station improvement projects, SEPTA Trolley Routes 11, 13, 34 and 36 will not operate in the Center City tunnel from 10 p.m. on Friday, August 2 through 12:01 a.m. on Monday, August 12. Trolley service will begin and end at 40th and Market Streets. The repair work will not affect SEPTA's Market-Frankford Line and passengers can use the Market-Frankford Line for travel to and from Center City.

Shuttle buses currently being used in place of Route 10 trolleys for the Lancaster Avenue track renewal project will travel to and from 40th and Filbert Streets instead of 33rd and Market Streets. Passengers can transfer to the Market-Frankford Line at 40th and Market Streets for travel to and from Center City.

During the closure, SEPTA's in-house Engineering, Maintenance & Construction crews will work around-the-clock on key maintenance and construction tasks to improve service reliability. The major portion of this work entails replacing approximately 10,000 feet of worn overhead wire and 2,500 feet of ceiling trough (the assembly system that attaches the overhead wire to the tunnel ceiling and provides insulated protection between the power line and the ceiling).

"We use the tunnel almost 24 hours a day, which means we have very limited opportunities to obtain track outages for extensive repair work," said SEPTA Deputy General Manager Jeff Knueppel. "We are taking advantage of this time to complete several projects that will improve our trolley service through the tunnel."

Other work that will be completed during the trolley closure includes replacing worn track components and completing regular track maintenance throughout the tunnel; replacing worn components on key track switches near 34th Street and conducting routine maintenance; and performing maintenance tasks at stations and key stairways.

In addition to the SEPTA crews, third-party contractors will utilize the tunnel closure to perform construction tasks as part of the Dilworth Plaza Reconstruction Project.

For more information, including Market-Frankford Line schedules, please contact SEPTA Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or click here.